Jay Bennett

Jay Bennett was largely most known for being a member of Wilco from 1994 through 2001, where he served as a talented musician and writer. He and Jeff Tweedy wrote the songs for Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", possibly the first rock masterpiece of the 21st century (and imho Wilco's best effort), after which Bennett left the band (and you may have heard the news of a lawsuit held by Bennett against the band because of the "I'm trying to break your heart" DVD, but what does it matter now?).

Bennett by the way went on making music and released a passionate acoustic record only some months ago, called "Whatever happened I apologize". A truly amazing bunch of songs (so much so that when I first listened to them I thought : "How I wish Wilco's next album could be so good"...but it turned out it probably isn't. Which is sad: I've always found Tweedy and Bennet great songwriters, perfect for this generation, for these times like, say Thom Yorke... But I can't get Wilco's music after "A ghost is born"... You know the expression: "One step forward two steps back", well that's just how I've been feeling about Wilco in these last years..)

And now Jay Bennett is gone, in his sleep.
If you feel like listening to some of Bennett's music I've uploaded "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", while you can download his whole last album for free @ Rock Proper.
And here's a video I found of Bennett's beautiful "I'll decorate my love" (from "Whatever happened...").

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Whatever Happened...(Link to Rock Proper)

Karine Polwart: Scribbled In Chalk

Karine Polwart is a scottish songwriter: she got a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award in 2007 for Best Album ("Faultilines", her debut), but the album I love most (among hers) is definetely this "Scribbled In Chalk", because it simply features a large number of beautifully melodic folk tunes, which grow after every listen.

Here's the video to "I'm gonna do it all"



Polwart has made four albums in her career, and there are many good things in other works too, but I simply think in "Scribbled In Chalk" there is not a single song less than good and, moreover, the band and the arrangements are the best (not leaning too much on the folk, and in so doing sounding very modern), sometimes making this sound almost like a Beth Orton thing.

But listen to her (these are part 1 & part 2 of a short film on "Scribbled in chalk):






Scribbled In Chalk

The Go-Betweens: Live 2003-05-09,Darmstadt,Germany

Here comes another Gb's boot, this one from the Bright Yellow Bright Orange Tour: long tracklist, pretty good recording, and I'd say that it's worth having also because of The house that Jack Kerouac built, a song played only rarely live during their post-2000 career (and maybe one of the most underated songs in their whole repertoire, and possibly one of my favourites -as it often is when it comes to many songs from "Tallulah" which lacked the proper production, or at least imho).

PS That night the supporting artist was Richard Hawley. The picture was taken (I don't remember by whom, sorry about that) from a concert from the previous year.

Tracklist:

Disc 1:
01 Make Her Day
02 Poison In The Walls
03 Magic In Here
04 Surfing Magazines
05 Right Here
06 German Farmhouse
07 Bachelor Kisses
08 Spirit
09 Too Much Of One Thing
10 Old Mexico
11 Bye Bye Pride
12 121
13 Caroline And I
14 Was There Anything I Could Do?
15 Love Is A Sign
16 The Clock
17 Spring Rain

Disc 2:
01 [crowd noise]
02 He Lives My Life
03 Love Goes On!
04 The House Jack Kerouac Built

Live Darmstadt, Part 1
Live Darmstadt, Part 2

PJ Harvey & John Parish @ KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic

Nice showcase @ Morning Becomes Eclectic. And PJ and Parish's new album "A man a woman walked by" (which I've been listening to for a couple of days) sounds like one of her best so far.

The Organ: Grab That Gun

I was really into this album when it came out (in 2006), so it was with some shock that I apprehended about The Organ's split up short after the release of this debut album. They probably weren't the most original combo of all the times (and in those days they kind of sounded like a female version of Interpol, didn't they?), but they had all the influences I dig: new wave, Smiths...I mean, the second song is entitled "Steven Smith", come on! How cool is that?
Anyway, this is for those who missed it.

Grab That Gun

Sholi: S/t

I usually don't post/upload new stuff. I like those blogs, yeah, actually I do (I find them absolutely necessary to find what is really worth buying, no matter what RIAA may say about that), but I like to keep this blog about bands' or solo artists' albums I really got to know (or about good bootlegs: which are one of many things I think make the internet so good: no more money given to fake labels or for you-don't-know-what-kind-of-quality recording).
So: Sholi, instead, are a young band, from the USA, and they've released so far only one EP and this debut album. What can I say about them? They are a mix of thing I like a lot in music: post-rock, good songwriting skills, and a nice balance of assonance and dissonance.

So, check their myspace page if you will or just give it a try buy downloading the album right here:

Sholi: S/t

Robert Forster: Sex God (Disc 1 & 2)

"Sex God" is a collection of precious bootleg recordings of Robert Forster's spanning from live recordings dating from 1991 to 1996, and including also some "Danger In The Past" demos. Which means: a lot of stuff, and quite rare too (there seems to be not many Forster's boots out there from the nineties), and I mean to make a point when I say that, for example, it is a great joy to be able to listen to (what probably is) the first public performance of When she talks about angels (from the "Mark Radcliffe" radio sessions at BBC Radio One), and I personally could never get tired of listening to Danger in the past (the album demos obviously do not sound perfect, but they are very good and of great interest: it is, for instance, captivating to see how I've been looking for somebody can sound good also without (that wonderful sounding) piano).
Also among my favourites: the plain, simple solo acoustic rendition of Love is a sign (from Disc 2), Grant Hart's acoustic 2541 (I actually thought it should have made it to the Intermission Best Of instead of Frisco Depot, and not only because I love Husker Du) and Rock 'n' roll friend of course (though nothing can beat the 1987 KCRW radio sessions).
And last (but not least) a big big thank you to Uli who managed to upload this for me (and for you, yeah).

In case someone didn't get how much stuff you'll find in here I'm posting the tracklists as well.

Traclist(s):

Disc 1:
Magasinet, Gothenburg, Sweden, February 17, 1991 (radio broadcast)
01. Is This What You Call Change
02. Love Is A Sign
03. People Say
04. I've Been Looking For Somebody
05. Dive For Your Memory
06. Baby Stones
07. Spring Rain
08. Leave Here Satisfied
"Danger In The Past" demos
09. Danger In The Past
10. The River People
11. I've Been Looking For Somebody
12. Drop
"Danger In The Past" outtake
13. Falling Star
"Greater London Radio" session, UK, April 21, 1993
14. Atlanta Lie Low
Triple J "Acoustic Sessions", Australia, May 26, 1993
15. The Circle
16. Falling Star
17. Drop (cuts)


Disc 2:
Phaat Chalice, Sydney, Australia, June 24, 1995 (radio broadcast)
01. Danger In The Past
02. Love Is A Sign
03. I've Been Looking For Somebody
04. 121
05. 2541
06. The Circle
07. Part Company
08. Dive For Your Memory
09. Crying Love (cuts)
"Mark Radcliffe" session, BBC Radio One, UK, August 7, 1996
10. I Can Do
11. Rock 'n' Roll Friend
12. She Sang About Angels
BBC Radio One session, UK, July 1994
13. 3AM
14. Interview
15. Baby Stones

Sex God (Disc 1)
Sex God (Disc 2)

Tortoise: Live 1999, Frankfurt

I've been a Tortoise fan for quite a long time now (since 1998's TNT), I've seen them play them live only once (and Jeff Parker is one of the very people I asked for an autograph, btw, and man was he kind! It got to the point where it was hard to see who was thanking whom...), and I also saw (probably during that same year) Chicago Underground Trio, so I was really delighted when I bumped into this bootleg with Tortoise during their TNT tour sharing (part of) a performance with CUT (plus Fred Anderson).
And it's not only that: it is a great quality show. I had also another boot on my hands but when I re-listened to that one I had no doubt this one is SO much better.

Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. TNT
3. Tin Cans & Twine
4. In Sarah, Mencken, Christ, and Beethoven There Were Women and Men
5. Track 6 Intro
6. Unknown
7. I Set My Face to the Hillside
8. Ten-Day Interval
9. Unknown
10. Swung from the Gutters
11. La Jetee

Tortoise Live 1999

Robert Forster: Live San Francisco (Sept. 10th 2008)

Here is another boot on Robert's splendid 2008 tour, but actually a special one to me. Mainly because of two very simple reasons called Girl lying on the beach (probably my favourite go-beteens' b-side ever, really! I do think it was a real blame it never made it to the tracklist of some album: it would have been a perfect fit for "Bright Yellow, Bright Orange"), and From ghost town (the heartbreaking ending to last year's "The Evangelist").

Plus, the first part of the set is all acoustic (voice + acoustic guitar + bass), and very intense.
As always when it comes to this extraordinary tour the gig is very long, which means more than 30 tracks. Yes, the sound is not perfect (a decent audience recording), but the performance is so good that it's hard to care about the rest.

I do hope you enjoy all of this.

Live S. F. Disc 1, Part 1
Live S. F. Disc 1, Part 2
Live S. F. Disc 2

Best Of 2008 (Part 1)

It took me quite some time...but I've finally made it.
(By the way: Bon Iver's "For Emma..." was 2007 to me)


1-Rachel Unthank & The Winterset: The Bairns

I know: "The Bairns" was released in 2007...but not in Italy (and that's where I live). That's why I discovered the beauty of the Unthank sisters' music so late. Just try and listen to the opening track of the album. Plus they did success in covering Wyatt's Sea song: hats off!

2-Robert Forster: The Evangelist

It may sound like an obvious choice being the huge Go-Betweens fan that I am...Bu actually I didn't hope "The Evangelist" could be so good. And every time I listen to Demon days or Ghost town makes me want to go back to everything he (they) did to listen to all of it all over again.

3-Frightened Rabbit: The Midnight Organ Fight

I discovered this one by chance, just blogging around (so thank you mysterious blogger that I forgot, and shame on me for that), and I just couldn't stop listening to it for a couple of weeks. It got to the point that I haven't managed to listen to their first album because I'm afraid it wouldn't live up to this.

4-Portishead: Third

This one maybe was the biggest suprise of this year in music: Portishead reunion was for real (it was hard to believe after all those years of rumours) and "Third" blew away all that chill- out shit (that kind of was Portishead's corrupted legacy) with a take-no-prisoner attitude album.

5-TV On The Radio: Dear Science

And this one took me by suprise: I was never really into TVOTR, so the first impressive song of "Dear science" came as a rather unexpected shock to me. And so did the rest of the tracklist.

6-Fleet Foxes: S/t

So good to see a debut album among the best of almost every chart of the year. Let's only hope this magnificent Brian Wilson-like dreams will stay with us a little bit longer.

7-Bonnie "Prince" Billy: Lie Down In The Light

Hard to keep track of every step of Will Oldham's musical career, being him almost as prolific as Prince (the other Prince...), or Ani Di Franco. Thing is: up until now the quality of his output has never caused any preoccupation in his fans. And I personally find this album almost as good as his "I see a darkness" masterpiece.

Best Of 2008 (Part 2)

8-BRIAN WILSON: That Lucky Old Sun

I'm a big fan of the man: he's written one of my "desert island" records (obviously "Pet Sounds"), and I'm so happy he's finally made a very good solo album (hard to consider the last "Smile" a solo, considering his very well-known story; and actually I do prefer the "Smile" version made by bootlegers with the original Beach Boys' voices).
By the way: there's indeed a lot of nostalgia in here (Forever my surfurl girl quite gives that away), but also his best songs in decades.

9-MAVIS STAPLES: Live Hope At The Hide Out

That was another world...remember? George W. Bush at the White House and everybody out there looking for some hope. Well, it turned out this great exercise of both hope and music wasn't that useless after all, wasn't it?
Great rebel songs, great voice and great concert.

10-REM: Accelearate

Indeed they did. But back are the lovable Mike Stills' backing vocals, some fast "Sing in tune with Stipe if you can" tirades...And some of the power of the best pop-rock songs they wrote during the eighties are still here, disguised as some new postsomething (post-Strokes?) rock. But behind all that (much unlike the other noisy & rockin' REM LP, "Monster") are the old school REM songs.

11-PAOLO BENVEGNU': Le Labbra

One of my fave italian artists. Once almost famous for being in a band called Scisma, he has been following a new path among italian songwriters and rockers, quite far away from both the angloamerican model and the italian one.






12-THALIA ZEDEK BAND: Liars And Prayers

That voice, that wonderful hoarse voice... A much better album than the previous one and almost as good as my favourite ("Been Here And Gone"). Be careful: its songs will crawl slowly underneath your skin.

13-VIC CHESNETT, ELF POWER AND THE AMORPHOUS STRUMS: Dark Developments

I have to admith that I have some problems getting to like Mr. Chesnett, and I can't honestly say why. I have probably never given him enough attention. But this time around I didn't need to: "Dark Developments" is a charming and funny (yes: funny) album from the get-go.

14-THE WAR ON DRUGS: Wagonwheel Blues

Another excellent debut. And with one of the best à la Dylan songs (circa 1966-1967 era) I've ever heard: Arms like boulders (I try everytime to imagine an Al Kooper organ in there...). And they sometime are more Springsteen than Springsteen himself (especially these days...)

15-BODUF SONGS: How Shadows Chase The Balance

Mat Sweet plays silence as if it was another instrument: chords that sound like ghosts, hypnotic arpeggios... Music for a slow slow day, when nothing ever seems to happen.

16-BAUHAUS: Go Away White

I may be the only person on this planet, but yeah: I like this album. I don't find this reunion useless at all (and therefore I'm sorry they called it quits so soon) simply because IMHO these songs are Bauhaus songs (I mean: this is not like some Genesis reunion with a Stiltskin singer...), the sound of the guitar is awesome (yeah!), and Bauhaus playing funky (well, quite...) and loud are a dream come true. And go listen to Undone, please.

17-AFTERHOURS: I Milanesi Ammazzano Il Sabato

An italian rock band emerged during the grunge period: it's nice to see what they've become. Anyway, they probably were (and still are) the best at finding a way to sing in italian with a very "rock" attitude. And the production of this album is amazing.

18-DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE: Narrow Stairs

Ok, it's not one of my favourite DCFC albums ever, but chance is I'm not understanding something here. Still, are or are not DCFC the best indie-rock band of the world? I can't say it yet (also because...what is indie-rock now? Possibly anything, I'd say), but I'm truly glad Death Cab exist.

And these are some of my fave songs from these 18 albums:

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: A Bed Of Roses

Completed after Lal Waterson's Death, "A Bed Of Roses" is a almost as good as "Once In A Blue Moon" (which I consider a true masterpiece), and I think we could never ever thank her own son Oliver for completing this beautiful output, this worth work.
Lal's songs are haunting me sweetly these days, I find myself humming them wherever I go, specially (from this LP) Memories and Foolish One. Actually what really happens is this: I take my guitar, strum some chord and I try to sing some Lal-Waterson like melody, but with no success at all. This woman and her voice has been an inspiration to me for quite some time now, I hope it will be to you too. If so, go and find (and wishfully buy) more.

A Bed Of Roses

Dick Gaughan: Handful Of Earth

Some time ago I luckily bumped into an used book, some old italian guide to UK folk spanning from the folk revival of the 60's till the late 90's and I slowly started digging and looking for some of this old (but new for me) stuff. I obviously was aware (and in fact was a great fan) of some of the most known names: the whole Fairport Convention family. and the Watersons.. But now I also know the lots and lots of remarkable artists whose career is worth much more than some mp3's in my hard disk. Some names: John Martyn, Nic Jones...at least there are those I'm starting to know. So, I'm not pretending to know a whole lot about Dick Gaughan, but I do know this one, "Handful Of Earth" is supposed to be his best album (and up until now I have no reason whatsoever to doubt this notion) and it contains some songs that I just can't get out of my head (first of all the trad The snows they melt the soonest). So what can I tell you:I love the nasal sound of his voice, his simple (as simple as a talented top class folk guitarist can be) guitar playing.
I'm thinking of uploading some more stuff like the already mentioned John Martyn and Nic Jones (though I know Time has told me had some troubling after having uploaded Jones)..., so let me know what you think of this one and then I'll consider the others. (Or maybe Lal Waterson's "A Bed Of Roses"...)

Here's a diy Youtube video with Gaughan's Song for Ireland:



Handful Of Earth

Robert Forster: Live In Copenhagen (2008-09-28)

Yes, people sometimes do tend to go back to the "crime scene": in this case RobertForster got back to Vega, Copenhagen where he performed with The Go-Betweens during the 2000 tour (I posted the Vega 2000 boot, btw) and I'm SO glad he did because this soundboard recording bootleg of that gig is really a treat, a gift to all GBs fans out there: we're talking about a long set (over 2 hours!) spanning through Forster's whole career, including also some of gbs' least frequently live played songs (I'm allright and Rock'n'roll friend), Robert singing one of Grant's GBs' songs (and one of his best: Quiet heart, I think a regular one of The Evangelist tour), an Heart out to tender (from the "Danger in the past" LP) I didn't remember so fine, several numbers from The Evangelist, and many many others (my fave bits: a Something for myself never so intimate before, a When she sang about angels with a brand new and really beautiful acoustic guitar solo in the middle).
In short terms: a topnotch bootleg (both for the the performance itself and for the quality of the recording), of which I have no problem saying it would probably fit among a Top 5 of all the go-betweens-oriented bootlegs I've posted.

And there's also more stuff to come...

Live In Copenhagen Part 1
Live In Copenhagen Part 2

The X: Live At the Whisky a Go-Go

Well, I meant to say a lot of things to say about this nice live (and official) recording of the X, like: this is one of my fave bands, one of the best rocking bands etc etc. But these last days sucked, so I'll cut it short and just post this.
I'll try to be better next time around.
The next post is supposed to be on Robert Forster.

Part 1 Part 2

The Go-Betweens: Live @ Wellington, New Zealand, February 12, 1985

First of all I'd like to thank Uli for giving me this wonderful boot. Because it is a great boot: excellent sound, plus it includes one of the rare live recordings of River of money (as final song: the cd from which it was ripped had some damage hence the noises at the end, still a great thing).
But what is most intriguing of this whole performance is seeing the Go-Betweens right before becoming a more pop-rock-oriented ensemble: in fact many of the songs performed can still be considered inside the new wave "canon" (many from "Before Hollywood", and then -as I said before- the brave spoken word of River of money).
I also hope you enjoy the nice picture I managed to find (from one of my old music magazines). And if any of you has any image of the gbs that can be of some interest feel free to upload it and give me the link, it'd be highly appreciated.

Tracklist:

1. Cattle & Cane
2. Part Company
3. Unkind & Unwise
4. On My Block
5. Right For Him
6. Bachelor Kisses
7. Rare Breed
8. Five Words
9. Right Word
10. Draining The Pool For You
11. That Way
12. People Say
13. A Bad Debt Follows You
14. Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea
15. I Need Two Heads
16. Hammer The Hammer
17. River Of Money

Live @ Wellington 1985

Bob Dylan: A Tree With Roots 3 & 4 (The Genuine Basement Tapes Remastered)

And in the end...I've uploaded this one too. So now just go listen to I'm not there, what are you waitin' for? C'mon.

A Tree With Roots Vol. 3
A Tree With Roots Vol. 4

And at last I've made it: I've re-upped Vol 1.
Hope it'll last.

Bob Dylan & The Band: A Tree With Roots 1 & 2 (The Genuine Basement Tapes Remastered)

I don't know if there is any need to go and explain what the basement tapes are (btw, after dylan's famous motorbike accident -probably an exaggereted one- his Bobness himself decided to take some time for himself, some time in the country -Woodstock was the place, just playin' round with The Band some old american music -some would call it Americana these days- and improved some new tunes, the most of it in a totally free way, with no push whatsover), but the fact is, and this has to be stated clear, the basement tapes which later got to be released through Sony were never intended to be for the public audience and, more important to us, they were just the tip of the iceberg.
Meaning there were loads of songs (and songs and songs...) left in Dylan's archives (want me to name one? The stuning "I'm not there", which gave the name for Todd Haynes's bizarre biopic last year), and all of that soon came out labelled as "Genuine basement tapes", a 5 CDs collection full of interesting material though not lacking flaws(i.e. the recording quality being the major one, and then, well, maybe too many takes or some not-so interesting short bits or sketches of songs, but hey, de gustibus...).
So what is "A Tree With Roots" then?
Quite easy to tell: the same genuine tapes, remastered, but with an order which kind of tries to make some sense out of the mass of pretty random music compositions. All of it compressed in a 4 volumes edition, and here am I giving you the first two (what'll you find in these? I'd say some little gems like Lock your door, Bonnie ship the diamond, or Dylan and the Band covering Bells of rhymney...but these are just some of my faves, and there are 58 in here, so knock yourself off and your own ones). And wait for 3 & 4 (with Going to Acapulco, the now famous I'm not there and the very core of the basement tapes, I'd say)

Want to to know more on ATWR? Check this page here (for the complete tracklist, the story and some notes). Or wiki for the whole story behind the basement tapes.

Enjoy, enjoy.
Next (ça va sans dire): Vol. 3 & 4.

A Tree With Roots Vol. 1 (New Link)
A Tree With Roots Vol. 2

(Re-Up) Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight: Once In A Blue Moon

...and this is what I wrote when I firs posted it:

This is step 2 in my mission of digging into british folk(rock)music. After step 1 (Shirley Collins some weeks ago. And that one won't be my only post on her) this is on one of England's most talented songwriters, the late Lal Waterson. She was co-founder of the Watersons (altogether with her siblings Mike and Nora), a band that mostly sang english tradionals acappella.
A couple of months ago I went through some of the Watersons' catalogue (both the bands' and the solos', i.e. Norma's, Mike's, but also Martin Carthy's) but I was soon won by this "Once In A Blue Moon", with some of the best acoustic guitar playing I've ever listened to and with simply a masterful songwriting skill (the initial At first she starts, with that pizzicato that is pure magic, and Cornfield, dramatic and evocative and as close to blues as english folk can get -not close musically speaking: it is a matter of suggestions, of evoked sensations).
But there is so much excellent music in here that citing one single song is maybe a shame. So these two are just the ones that are striking me the most at the moment. I could give you different titles in 5 minutes.
If you want more there's also from her (with Mike) the much acclaimed "Bright Phoebus".
By the way, Oliver Knight is her own son.

PS
If any of you has the "A bed of roses" album please upload it (i can't find it).

More on Lal Waterson @ FoxyTunes

Once In A Blue Moon